(Caption) Priestess of the Stars
Added 2024-10-24 15:05:15 +0000 UTCThe annual Star Ceremony is the town's most important tradition, where the Priestess will pray for the blessing of the Star God for the entire town. This year, however, the only one who meets the age requirement is him - a boy. In desperation, the townspeople decide to dress him up as a girl to complete the ceremony.
Early in the morning, the women begin to prepare him. The hairdresser began by putting on a long-haired wig with light blue strands that fell over his shoulders like flowing water. With deft hands, she secured the wig so that the strands fell naturally to his waist, soft and lustrous. Then the makeup artist primed his face to hide the boyishness of his face, and thin eyebrows, deep eyeliner and pale pink lipstick gave him a soft, feminine face. When he looked at himself in the mirror, it was hard to tell the original look.
Once the makeup was complete, the townspeople dressed him in his priestly garb. The first was a white dress with fine lace around the skirt, followed by a wide black tunic inlaid with a golden star pattern. With the tunic on, his figure was slimmed down even more. She finished off with a pair of glossy black brogues with buckles that shimmered with a metallic sheen, which, along with her white mid-calf socks, gave her a lightness of step.
Once her costume was complete, she walked towards the altar, the star bell in her hand. As the bell rang, her steps were steady yet gentle as the townspeople bowed their heads in prayer. Starlight poured down, and at this moment she was no longer the boy, but a priestess symbolizing the Star God, fulfilling her mission with mystery and solemnity.
